A Single Mistake
by GeneticallyEnhanced1
Summary: Complete. Set during Not Pictured, Veronica shoots Cassidy on the roof that fateful day.
1. Chapter 1

Title:A Single Mistake

Chapter 1: Not a Killer

Summary: Veronica shoots Cassidy on the roof that fateful day

Spoilers: Up to 2x22 "Not Pictured"

Author's Note: Obviously this story is pretty dark and angsty! Just a 'what if' piece with a LoVe pairing

A gunshot rang into the air. Logan and Cassidy abruptly stopped fighting and looked her direction. Veronica purposely brought the gun down to Cassidy's level with fire in her eyes.

"Logan, move away from him," she instructed. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally shoot him in the process of getting her vengeance. Logan and Cassidy quickly got to their feet.

"Veronica, don't," Logan said urgently, putting his hands up. Surprise and worry were etched in his features. Taking note of his disbelief, Veronica emphasized the reasons Cassidy had to die.  
"He killed my father!" she shouted through a barrage of tears. Logan started to move slowly toward her. Veronica Mars was not a murderer and she would not become one tonight.

"Now give me the gun, Veronica," he repeated, ignoring her plea.  
"He killed everyone on the bus! He raped me!" she accused, emotionally. Her gun was pointed toward Cassidy with the expertise of a gunman, but her face was vulnerable and scared. Beaver had taken away the lives of her friends, her family, and her innocence in one fell swoop. Logan looked back at him in shock, secretly agreeing that the punishment she wanted to bring on him was apt. He just didn't want to see her be the one to execute it.

"Look, you are not a killer, Veronica. Give me the gun," Logan insisted, inching closer toward her. At this, her resolve began to falter. She looked over at Cassidy. For a moment he looked scared and vulnerable too. Someone had taken away his innocence long ago, too. She felt a touch of sympathy as she stared. Then, Beaver's distraught face flickered into a smirk before Logan could reach Veronica. His expression spoke for itself. _She wasn't going to do it. She wasn't capable of doing it._ His challenging eyes caught Veronica's wet ones and they glazed with anger. In seconds, it was done. Her finger flicked across the trigger.

Cassidy fell backwards, surprise etched on his features as his body went limp. Her eyes bulged in surprise at what she had done; her arm fell limply at her side, the gun still held between her fingers. She choked out a sob as Logan raced up to pry the gun away. "Veronica, oh my God," Logan mumbled, upset.

She stumbled over to the young Cassidy, her throat tight, and knelt over his body. She reached out her hand to gingerly touch him and feel for a pulse. Logan grasped her fingers quickly. The last thing they needed was to have her DNA all over him. He pulled his sleeve over his hand and gently felt his neck. No pulse. He shook his head in disbelief.

Veronica stumbled backwards and inched away from him.

"Oh my God, what did I do?" she whispered and she started shaking all over. Logan pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay, Veronica. It's gonna be okay," he assured her, rubbing her back in comfort.

She pulled away slightly. "How… how is this going to be okay? I killed him, Logan. I killed Cassidy!" she cried, her voice tight. He put a hand over her mouth to silence her and held her face.

"Listen: I am not going to let anything happen to you, okay?"

She buried her head in his arms, taking in what had happened. Suddenly another thought occurred to her as she pulled back. "Logan, what about Mac? What if Cassidy- I have to see if she's okay."

He shook his head firmly. "Veronica, we have to get rid of the body first." She looked stricken at what he was suggesting.

"He was Dick's brother. We can't just-"

"We don't have a choice!" he shouted, louder than he intended. They were both panicked, but one of them had to take the initiative and keep a clear head. Considering the state of his ex-girlfriend, he had to be the one to take the reins this time. "I can't watch as they put you away for life for murder."

Veronica released herself from his grip and began walking shakily toward the edge of the roof, wrapping her arms around herself. "I didn't mean… I mean Beaver, he-" Bile started to rise in her throat as she realized the implications of what she had done. She held her stomach and began breathing heavily. He stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look I mean, best case scenario they buy it was in self defense. But, c'mon, we saw how my dad's trial went. And Big Dick's pockets go pretty deep too. There's no question how the jury will vote, we both know that," he explained, pulled his fingers through his hair in frustration. She nodded at him and stared off the edge of the roof. Her life had been ruined because of a second's mistake. Her dad was gone. The cars raced by on the streets below; becoming a blur in her eyes. It would be so simple…

Logan saw what she was contemplating and twirled her around. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her. _"Veronica, no!" _he yelled, his voice coarse and angry.

"What exactly is the point, Logan?" she asked, surprised by his tone.

"The point is: I can't watch you die. Not you, after everything that's happened. Please, we can work through this I promise. I promise you won't lose your life over Cassidy. Now, can you trust me?"

She hesitated, and then nodded slowly. He drew her into his arms again and kissed her head softly. "Okay, okay…" he muttered, rocking her back and forth. He tentatively let her go and stooped beside Cassidy's body. She walked him leave, but kept a safe distance.

"We could drop him in the ocean. They would never find him," he offered, his voice stoic.

She sighed and shook her head. "There's no way we're gonna be able to carry his… body down the stairs without getting noticed." He nodded in agreement. She began pacing the roof in contemplation, gazing at the vacant space in front of her. Suddenly, she had a thought. She walked to the edge of the roof again. Logan came forward in a hurry, still worried she might be suicidal.

"What if- what if we threw him off?" she suggested. "I mean, the cops wouldn't know which floor he came from."

Logan mulled over his idea and nodded. He began taking off his hooded jacket and carefully wrapped it around Cassidy, careful not to get any prints. He methodically placed his body on the roof, and then jerked the jacket away like a magician pulls away a tablecloth. He turned and winced as he heard the sound of a crash and a car horn below. His face was pained; disturbed by what he had done. Veronica stared at his face and his jacket, stained with Cassidy's blood, feeling immeasurable guilt.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she squeaked, knowing her words were too small. She bit her lip, reluctantly. "What about Mac?"

He nodded as they started gathering the evidence and shoving it into her bag: her taser, the gun, and the bloody jacket. They packed them tightly, sealing off the top carefully. The two raced toward the help desk eagerly.

"I need to see the room where Cassidy Casablancas is staying," Veronica stated urgently to the same hotel employee she spoke to earlier.

The receptionist was less than thrilled to help her this time. "I'm sorry, Miss. I can't give out that information. We're very busy."

Veronica jerked her head to see the hotel employees and hotel security gathered around the place where they had thrown Cassidy. She gazed at Logan, pleadingly.

"Look, we think whoever he's got in the room is in danger," Logan told her. "We have to get to her or you'll have another murder on your hands." Ironically, he was unaware that his own father was being murdered at that moment.

The receptionist looked panicked and gave up Cassidy's room without further hesitation. She directed another employee to help them enter the room, explaining the situation. The three raced toward the elevator and numbly watched the numbers light up as they reached Cassidy's floor. As soon as he had the door opened, Veronica raced in.

"Mac?" she called.

The first thing she noticed was the empty mattress; all of the bedding had been removed. She then saw Mac crouched by the side of the bed, wrapped in a shower curtain. Despite her depressed expression, she was alive. Veronica gasped in relief and crouched down in front of her.

"He took my clothes. He took everything. Why?" Mac cried sadness and confusion written over her face.

Veronica put a hand over her mouth, wondering what to tell Mac about the events that had transpired. Instead she leaned over and enveloped her in a hug. The employee that came with them shook his head in disbelief.

"I'll- I'll see what we can do, Ma'am," he stammered, uncomfortably and left the room.

"What happened, Veronica?" Mac insisted, knowing she knew more than what she was telling. Veronica furrowed her brow, uncertainly. She and Logan froze as they heard the sounds of sirens below. The police were here.

Veronica opened her mouth to explain, but Logan interrupted her before she could get out another word. "Veronica, we gotta go."

At that moment, the employee returned holding a few crumpled clothes in his arms. He told Mac they were complimentary from the hotel gift shop. Nodding at Logan, Veronica stood slowly. "Mac, we'll explain everything later, okay?" Logan grabbed her arm and started pulling her along. She glanced over at Mac apologetically and left the room.

She stared after them quizzically and nervously took the clothes from the employee….

Moments later, they managed to sneak out the back door away from the throngs of hotel employees, security guards, and police cars out front. They hurried over to the parking lot and made their way to Logan's Xterra. Veronica scooted into the passenger's seat and slammed her door with more force than necessary. She clutched the evidence bag tightly and looked over at him nervously.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Logan massaged his forehead in distress. "Away from Neptune," he replied, gripping the wheel and staring out in front of him.

Veronica nodded and leaned back in her chair, bracing herself for the road ahead…

Author's Note: Next up, Keith returns!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: In It Together

Author's Note: This chapter's been tweaked since its inception. This story is admittedly kind of difficult to write. I tried to balance Veronica's wit and how she handles everything, but at the same time I felt a compelled to make her a little sad, a little broken at what's happened/what she's done. I realize not everyone is going to like this story idea (making V a killer), but I'm glad some of you are curious and sticking around.

There's plenty of Veronica/Logan in this chapter for everyone who's a fan of the pair (I think most people are). I hope you enjoy it!

As Logan started to drive away from the Grand, Veronica took a deep breath and considered her predicament. It had been only a few hours since she'd fatally shot her former schoolmate, but it was time to regroup and consider her options. Years of practice had taught her to repress pain and focus on the here and now.

"Alright, let's think here," she suggested, wavering her hands for emphasis. "This-this isn't so bad."

"Not so bad? Are we in an alternate universe? Because I thought things looked pretty bad," Logan retorted in disbelief.

"I mean, when they investigate. There weren't any witnesses on the roof. And we've got all the DNA evidence here," she added, patting the bag.

"Yeah pretty damning evidence if anyone got a hold of it."

"They won't. We'll take… precautions. The good news is your alibi is rock solid: you were having a party at your room at the Grand. Most of the Neptune seniors can vouch for that."

"Ah yes, my tales of debauchery aren't exactly a secret to those lovely tabloid reporters," he sneered. "Wait, what about your alibi? Who saw you?"

"I believe I made a brief appearance at your graduation shindig…"

"I doubt that's a smoking g-" he stopped himself in light on the recent events. "Carry on."

"Well, I kinda… ran into your dad. In the elevator."

Logan almost missed the red light signal at that admission and he stomped on the brake pedal. The car jerked forward slightly at the momentum. "Well, that's fan- fucking- tastic," he muttered, worry written all over his face.

"Granted your Dad probably isn't my biggest fan, but under the circumstances his testimony could be considered… biased."

"Yeah that's soothing, especially since people hang on the words of their beloved movie stars," he sighed, waving his hand for emphasis. "There's also the little matter of insisting the hotel staff check on Beaver's room."

She bit her lip pensively. A thought occurred to her. "Mac and Cassidy were having problems, even before everything happened," she offered.

"So?"

"So, I was a concerned friend. The high school gossip mill is vast and no one really knows why Cassidy pulled away from Mac. Say the brother of the most notorious skeeze in Neptune High followed in his brother footsteps; I find out about the infidelity and I'm worried about her."

"You just might be able to get away this," Logan said, with a tinge of admiration in his voice.

"It's not exactly as air tight as it could be, but it's a start. It's just…"

"What?"

"Leaving Neptune doesn't exactly scream innocence, either."

Logan shrugged and did an abrupt (and illegal U-turn) in the middle of the street. Veronica gripped her seat and glared at him disapprovingly. "Where to, Mars?"

She smirked slightly at the play on her name, but her smile disappeared at what she had to say. "My house."

Logan threw her a quizzical look, but conceded. "Alright, I guess you're the brains of this outfit."

The car became silent as they rode back to Veronica's apartment complex. The idea of going back there made her shudder as she realized her apartment would be empty. When she was talking to Logan about the cover-up she was able to keep thoughts of her father hidden, but without conversation they consumed her. Eager to break the rising tension, Logan began fiddling with the dial on his car radio. He tapped the steering wheel impatiently as he scanned through the stations. He stopped as he caught the beginning broadcast of the local news station.

_The body of movie star and acquitted murderer Aaron Echolls was found at the Neptune Grand an hour ago. He was found with a bullet to his head. The assailant is thought to have covered the security cameras and there is no record of his entrance into Aaron's room. _

Logan quickly switched off the radio and put a hand to his forehead. Veronica gazed at him with concern.

"Logan, are you-"

"It's alright. You of all people knew me and my dad weren't exactly close," he scoffed.

"Okay, but he was your-"

"Only by blood. Hey, at least there's no way he can destroy our lives anymore, right?" he chortled.

She sighed and leaned her head into her hand. "Yeah," she agreed, with a strange hollowness in

her voice. The car came to a halt and Veronica realized they were back at her apartment complex. Logan glanced over at her, sensing her discomfort. She threw him a fake smile and gathered her bag. "What are we waiting for?"

Veronica slid her keys on the counter as soon as she was safely inside the apartment. Staring at the kitchen and the couch, she was overwhelmed with memories of her father. She gripped her hair anxiously and wavered unsteadily on her feet. Logan kept pace with her, concerned.

"Veronica…"

"I'm okay. It's just… I need to sit down."

They took their place side by side on the couch. Veronica turned away from him, staring at the wall next to her. Logan drummed his fingers on his legs, unsure of what to do. He snatched up the TV remote on the counter and turned on the television. "Who's up for some late night trash TV?"

As hard as she tried to keep her anxieties hidden from him by refusing to face him, an unanticipated sob choked out. He leaned over her with worry. Frowning deeply, he gently took her by the shoulders to face him. Her lip trembled slightly and she placed her hand over her eyes. "I'm okay, really," she lied. "I just- I miss him so much."

Logan took her into his arms and let her cry. Her body racked with sobs, beating her with such force that her head started to ache. He held her for a long while as she wept for her father, occasionally pushing back a few strands of her hair, and kissing her forehead softly. Eventually, her sobs subsided leaving a few tears remaining. They ended up at the edge of the couch as she leant into his arms.

Logan fought his fatigue, still worried about Veronica's mental state. She looked up at him; his arms wrapped around her tightly, his brow furrowed with worry over her well-being, and felt a glimmer of hope. Eventually, she did fall asleep with her head on the crook of her arm. It wasn't to be a pleasant dream, however.

Beaver's scared face flashed before her eyes. The plane carrying her dad blew up in the background. She picked up her underwear off Shelly Pomroy's guest room floor. Her dad held her in his arms, lovingly. And suddenly bang! the sound of a gun going off. She awoke with a start, her breath coming out shallowly; her head sore. She suddenly heard a ringing in her bag. She crawled over to it with urgency and dug her hand in. It brushed Logan's jacket, gathering blood, as she finally grasped the phone in her hand.

Meanwhile, Logan had just woken up with the warmth of Veronica's body missing from his arms. He scanned the room for her, slightly panicked, then spied her on the kitchen floor; her phone in her hand. He bolted toward her, anxious to see who was calling. Veronica squinted as she read the number description: _Dad_. Her breath caught in her throat as she eagerly accepted the call.

"Daddy?" she squeaked, her voice hopeful.

_"Veronica? Where are you?" _Keith asked, confused.

"You're alive! Oh, I thought you were dead."

_"Oh, honey, what's wrong? I don't understand."_

"Woody's plane. Cassidy Casablancas blew it up."

Keith was silent for a moment, taking in her words. "Holy… I wasn't on the plane. Lamb didn't want me arriving with Woody getting met by the press so he had them take me off the plane at the last minute. I rented a car, I drove home."

She leaned back on the bed, sighing with relief. "Oh God, I'm so glad."

"I'll be home in an hour, honey. Is everything okay now?"

She ran a hair through her messy hair nervously. "Yeah, everything's okay," she said with hesitation. "Just come home soon."

"Okay."

"Love you."

"I love you too, honey. I'll be there as soon as I can."

She nodded and ended the call. Still in disbelief, she leaned against the counter in contemplation. Logan gave a half smile and moved beside her.

"He wasn't on the plane," she stated, a smile alighting on her face.

"Oh good, I was wondering what I'd do without your dad's overprotective gaze and silent judgment following me around," he quipped.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure you won't be the only one on trial this time around," Veronica shrugged. She gazed at her hand, lightly stained with Cassidy's blood. She went to the sink and started furiously scrubbing her hands. She took a breath as she wiped them off, and then turned to face Logan. "Look, Logan… I appreciate all that you've done for me, really. But I don't think it's fair to drag you into this."

"Wait, Veronica-"

"Just let me get this out. I screwed up, okay? I screwed up big time and as much as I want to, I can't take it back. Dad was the sheriff once upon a time, we'll figure this out… but you shouldn't have to suffer because of what I did."

"You actually expect me to walk away?"

She put her hands on his chest. "Go home, Logan. I'll be okay."

Logan shook his head vigorously. "There's no way I'm packing up and leaving you, Veronica. No way. I-I want to help you. I have to help you."

Veronica paused and grasped his hands in hers. "Logan, I killed one of your friends in cold blood. Don't lie to yourself. Look me in the eyes and tell me you still see me the same way."

He stared her straight in the eyes and held her hands tightly. "I do. You're still the same Veronica I knew. The same Veronica I fell in love with." He grasped her face and kissed her passionately on the lips.

She drew her hands away, stunned by his revelation. After a moment where she took in his words, she returned his kiss with vigor. The kiss deepened and soon they were spinning around the room fighting for each other. Suddenly they heard the sound of the apartment door opening and Veronica broke off their impromptu make-out session; a little flushed from the raw passion that was still alive and well between them.

She grinned widely as Keith appeared in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked, confused by Logan's presence.

"Dad!" Veronica broke away from Logan, raced toward her father, and pulled him into a tight hug.

He returned the hug and pulled her in closer. He took her face in his hands and studied her. "Are you okay, honey? What happened?"

Veronica took a breath and frowned. "Dad, maybe you'd better sit down for this…"

Author's Note:

I know Keith didn't call Veronica before he came home. It just worked a little better for me to have him call her first. Just pretend he called her sometime in "Not Pictured" while she was asleep. Coulda happened!

I hope you Logan/Veronica fans liked the chapter and how I characterized them. I try to hear their voices in my head. Next up: the aftermath. Wallace, Mac, and Dick appearances! Thanks for reading! Remember to review, please. O:)


	3. The End?

Author's Note: Ehh…. I think I'm deleting this story. I understand why people wouldn't like the idea so I'm not really too upset about it (plus its only 2 chapters). But I figured I should do a courtesy post in case there were a couple people interested in it. Sooo, continue or trash?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Deception is the Watchword

Author's Note: Alrighty, chapter 3! Hey, thanks for all the comments everyone. That was really sweet and much appreciated. I didn't know people were invested in the story, otherwise I wouldn't have thought about quitting it. I'll definitely carry it through to the end.

This chapter is kinda emotional, but it'll be more action oriented in the chapters to come. Wallace, Mac, Backup, and Lamb all make appearances here. It takes place the summer before they all head to Hearst though, so no Parker or Piz. Also I excluded the whole Kendall subplot, though I think most people weren't huge fans of that particular story anyway.

Keith sat in his armchair, intent on what Veronica had to say. She and Logan sat on the opposing couch. Logan held her hand gently in support.

Veronica took a breath, "Cassidy…"

"He was the third kid on the tape. The one who blew up the bus," Keith nodded, remembering their phone call. "Did you confront him?"

"I did. He… wasn't too happy about that."

Keith's face became stoic. "What did he do to you?"

Veronica involuntarily touched her arm, the burn still raw. "Threatened me. Pulled a gun."

He noticed her movement and gently pulled up her sleeve. She jerked back slightly as he gingerly touched the pinkish skin. "I don't understand. Cassidy always seemed like a good kid."

"He wasn't."

"Wasn't? Veronica what-"

"He was gonna kill Logan too, Dad. I got his gun and-" she shut her mouth and she fell silent.

Keith was taken aback. "Veronica, you didn't…."

She looked to the floor, defeated. "Dad, I'm sorry," she whispered, emotionally.

"Oh God," he pulled her into another hug and rubbed her back. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and started to fall. Keith sighed, pulled her back, and wiped the tears from her face. "We're gonna get through this, okay Veronica?"

She nodded and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I know."

"No, we just need to work this out like we would any normal case."

"Three steps ahead of you Mr. Mars," Logan piped in, leaning his head toward Veronica for emphasis.

"Right. Of course. What do you have so far?" Keith asked, suddenly business-like.

"The weapon, my bag, anything that could be construed as a murder weapon is over there by the couch," Veronica explained, sticking her hands in her back pockets uneasily

"We're gonna need to burn that, I imagine. Where's the body?"

"We were on the roof. We figured the best thing to do was…"

"To toss it off so they wouldn't know where it came from. Good. Witnesses?"

"I saw Logan's dad on the elevator, but he's-"

"I heard," Keith interrupted, shooting Logan a sideways glance. "So there's no connection between you and Cassidy?"

"No, uh, but I had to go check on Mac. She was in Cassidy's room."

Keith shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Veronica…"

"I had to Dad. I didn't know what he would do to her."

"I thought they were together. You really think he'd kill her too?"

"Yeah, well, we can just tag her murder along with the others and the rape and he's getting pretty close to Satan there," Logan contemplated, shaking his head in disbelief.

Keith's brows knit in surprise. "Rapist? Who did he-" A revelation hit him and he glanced over at his daughter.

She met his eyes, ducked her head, and looked away from him. "It was a long time ago," she muttered hastily, shuffling her legs on the ground.

Keith closed his eyes tightly and put a hand on his forehead. "When?" he asked softly.

Veronica looked off to the side, seeking some sort of distraction. "It's not a big deal. Look, Cassidy…"

"_When_ Veronica?" Keith repeated in a no-nonsense tone.

She took a breath. "Three years ago. Shelley Pomroy's party."

A realization hit him. "That's how you got Chla- Veronica, why didn't you tell me? Didn't you think this was relevant information for me to have?" He asked, somewhere between sadness, worry, and hurt.

"What could you have done or said, Dad?"

Overcome with emotion, Keith pushed himself from his chair and began pacing the room. He finally halted and placed his hands on the kitchen counter. Veronica put her hand behind her neck and gave Logan an uncomfortable look. He stared back at her quizzically, a bit taken aback that she hadn't shared that minor detail with her father.

The three sat in silence for a few minutes. Her father looked so distraught that she was having trouble reading him. She wasn't sure if he was going to yell, give her the silent treatment, or even cry. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"They'll probably bring you in for questioning… both of you," he began. He turned to face them. "When that happens you stick with the story. Make sure you work out all the details together so they'll corroborate. Remember any minor thing: what you were wearing, the last time you saw him, everything will be relevant. You're both going to act as if nothing happened. No changes in routine."

She nodded in agreement. Keith gave Veronica a pensive look as another thought struck him. "And Veronica, you're going to have to leave the bus crash alone."

At this she shot up out of her chair in protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… Dad, I can't do that!"

Keith shook his head. "I take it people know you've been investigating the bus crash?"

Her brow knit, "Not specifically. I've asked them about the victims. Little things."

"They'll put two and two together."

She opened her mouth to protest, but Logan cut her off. "He's right, Veronica. Your big mouth isn't exactly a secret to the rest of Neptune High."

"Neither is the fact you also investigated Lilly's case," Keith added.

"But what about Meg? And Cervando? Betina, Rhonda, Marcos, Peter? So their deaths meant nothing? They were murdered! Their parents, their friends have the right to know!" she insisted, her voice strained.

"They're dead, Veronica! And none of the information you found can change that," Keith stated. He put his hands on her shoulders. "_You're_ alive. _You_ have your life ahead of you. You're the one I need to protect."

Veronica bit her quivering lip, trying desperately to keep from crying. None of the crash victims would be able to get their belated justice. She had screwed everything up. She squirmed away from his grasp and ran to her room. Once there she stuffed her face into her pillow and tried to muffle her sobs.

Keith put his hands on his hips and stared into the ground. Logan stared off in the direction of her room and rose from the couch. "Look, uhhh, I'll go check on her," he said awkwardly. Keith nodded and watched him go. As soon as Logan was out of eyeshot, he finally dissolved into tears.

_A week later… _

Veronica sat at her father's office, sorting files. She trailed her finger down her list of things to do and neatly crossed them out one by one. In the adjacent room, Keith did his share of the investigative work and glanced over at the clock contemplatively. He sipped his coffee, and then peered through the crack of his door. Decisively, he opened the door and leaned against the frame.

"You alright, honey?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"Yup! I'm almost done sorting through the Pemsky file and then I have just a few more…" she answered, chirpily without looking back at him. Though her tone was carefree, the bags under her eyes suggested otherwise. She was so pre-occupied that she failed to notice Wallace strolling in.

"Hey, V!" he greeted her warmly, a flying disc in his hand.

She glanced up from her work and smiled at him. "Hey, Wallace. What up?"

"Couldn't help notice, it's another sunny day in Neptune," he declared, pointing to the window behind her.

"So it is. Think they're onto something with this whole global warming theory?"

"Maybe. Or it might just be the perfect day to play some Frisbee? What do you say?"

She hesitated. "I've got a few more…"

Keith cut her off. "She'd love to," he answered. "I think Backup could use the exercise."

Veronica smiled tightly. "Right. Who can resist the allure of the flying saucer?" she relented and quickly joined Wallace. Keith drummed his fingers against his coffee mug distractedly as he watched Veronica leave; his face twisted with concern.

A few minutes later, Veronica, Wallace, and Backup played on Dog Beach, just like old times. Wallace and Veronica would toss the Frisbee back and forth to each other, while Backup eagerly tried to get in on the action by leaping into the air. They returned to their usual banter as Wallace tossed the saucer and mocked Veronica's lack of athletic prowess. She laughed and raced a few feet back. She absently gazed at the ocean and suddenly remembered Curly Moran: another unfortunate victim of Cassidy Casablancas who died trying to get the truth out. Her thoughts distracted her as she failed to notice the Frisbee headed straight for her. Backup raced to catch it and inadvertently plowed her over.

Veronica landed in the sand with a soft thump and a cry of surprise. She laid on her back for a moment, until a guilty Backup started whining and licking her face. She snapped out of her daze, cuddled her dog affectionately, and boosted herself off the ground. She was still shaking the sand off when Wallace approached her.

"You okay, V?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Relax, Wallace. It was just a stumble. I'm still fully functional," she declared, shrugging innocently.

"It's not that. Its just you're kinda… distracted lately. And no offense? But you look like you haven't slept in a week."

Veronica felt a little surprised that Wallace was able to notice the subtle changes in her. She smiled appreciatively at his genuine concern. "I'm fine. Just tell me the rousing story about how you won the game against San Diego state at the last minute again and I'll sleep easy."

Wallace laughed and pushed her playfully. She grinned and then noticed Mac walking along the shoreline, book in hand. She gestured to Wallace, who nodded, and stepped aside so she could pass him. Veronica jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey, Mac. What's the haps?" she began cordially.

"Oh fine. Just went to see my shrink again," Mac scowled, digging her hand in her pocket.

"How's that going?"

"She asked if a lifetime without a libido what such a bad thing. I think she's given up on me."

"You just need more time."

"But you know what sucks even more? All the question marks. He took everything out of the room, he stole my cell phone, and I have no idea why. Are you sure you don't have any clue what happened that day?"

"I told you, I'm still looking into it."

Mac threw her a skeptical look and took a breath. "Well, you must have known something was up. Why did you try to find me?"

"Just a feeling."

She could sense Veronica wasn't being entirely truthful and pressed her. "If you did find something, you'd tell me, right? I mean, I can handle it… even if it's ugly."

"You know I would," Veronica insisted, looking at her with doey eyes.

Mac nodded and pondered this. "Right. What reason would you have not to? I mean, he was your friend too, wasn't he?"

"Yeah…" she agreed, trying to keep the hesitation out of her voice. "Don't worry, Mac. We'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Veronica," she finally smiled with a look of appreciation. "Look maybe I can hel-"

Suddenly, Veronica's phone rang. She dug in her bag and quickly answered it. "Dad? Yeah. I'll be there. I remember. Don't worry, I'll be okay. See ya at home." She gazed at the phone for a moment, trying to collect herself. The Sheriff had asked to see her. She was prepared for this moment, but it was still difficult to keep the anxiety hidden from her friends. She smiled tightly and faced them. "Gotta go. My Dad needs me for a case. We'll talk later, okay?"

Mac and Wallace shared a look of confusion as they watched her leave. There was something in her almost brusque manner and hurried exit that suggested something wasn't quite right with Veronica Mars…

Veronica scowled slightly as she entered the interrogation room yet again. She took her familiar seat in the cold metal chair as Lamb took his seat on the opposite side of the table.

"I'm getting the weirdest feeling of déjà vu," Veronica quipped, leaning back against the chair.

"You get yourself into a lot of trouble, don't you Veronica?" Lamb smiled; a glint in his eye as he stared over at her. "So what can you tell me about the Casablancas kid? Where were you at the time of his murder?"

"I'm sure you've confiscated and enjoyed enough beer kegs to know what kinds of debauchery kids get themselves into on the last day of school. I was at the party at the Grand."

"Who's party?"

"Logan… Echolls."

"Echolls? The same kid you accused of murder last year," he clarified, trying to pique her.

"Yeah, well, we kissed and made up," she retorted, irritably.

"The hotel receptionist said you insisted on getting into Cassidy's room a couple minutes after his death. Why were you in such a rush to visit him, Veronica? Do you know something I don't?"

"That much is obvious," she slipped out. She read off his angry glare and straightened in her chair. "My friend Mac was in there with him. I was worried. His brother Dick has a… reputation."

"Reputation?"

"A use 'em and lose 'em type guy?"

"And you just realized that… at that moment?"

"Mac and Cassidy had rented a room together. I didn't want her to you know…"

"What?" he prodded; getting a sadistic pleasure out of forcing her to recall her bout with Chlamydia.

"You know…" she sighed as she became flustered. Embarrassed as she was, she and her father had decided it was the most believable alibi. "Catch something."

"Yeah, I mean that-that would be awful, wouldn't it Veronica?"

She looked at him with hatred in her eyes, but kept her voice level. "Are we about done here?"

Lamb waved his arm dramatically at the door. "You're free to go." As she started to leave he stopped her. "Oh, and Veronica? If you did have anything to do with Cassidy's murder, don't think I won't hesitate to rake you over the coals."

Veronica smirked back at him. "And when I find out who did it, I'll hand deliver the marshmallows as usual."

As she exited, she was surprised to see Dick waiting outside the interrogation room. He looked a little disheveled, his face contorted with grief. She ducked her head as she moved past him, ignoring his questioning gaze.

Veronica was relieved to finally make it to the parking lot as she fumbled for the keys to her LeBaron. She stopped when she saw her windscreen. Written in large white letters was the word: "MURDERER."

Author's Note: Dun, dun, dunnnn! I like cliffhangers. Feedback, please! Hope you enjoyed. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: I Know What You Did

Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the lateness of this installment. I had to study for my GREs. But since you're all so patient, I'll tell you that the story is all (mostly) mapped out and there are two or three chapters remaining. I will try to update a little faster in the future. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Veronica was still shaking slightly as she entered the Neptune Grand. Attempting to look inconspicuous, she averted her gaze from the rest of the hotel residents and walked casually to the elevator. She sighed in relief as the elevator doors closed; glad she had managed to enter the hotel unseen. Some members of the hotel staff were sure to be suspicious of her given her frantic search for Mac that night. Still, she needed to find out who could have possibly seen her the night of the murder. When the doors opened, she carefully adjusted her gloves to avoid leaving any prints and stepped out onto the roof.

A shudder automatically ran through her body as she remembered the events of that night: the fear and indignation she felt when confronting Beaver, the horror she felt when he attacked Logan, and the disbelief and guilt she felt when she pulled the trigger. She shut her eyes tightly, told herself to stay calm, and refocused on the task at hand. No, no one was on the roof with them that day. She looked over at the adjacent buildings. They were sufficiently further away, the night was pitched black… if anyone happened to be glanced at the roof of the Grand (a difficult task since both buildings were much lower in height) it was highly unlikely anyone would be able to I.D. her or Logan.

Veronica was perplexed as she continued to gauge the impossibility of any credible witnesses. Even if someone managed to gaze up at the roof at the exact moment Logan tossed Beaver off, the height of the hotel meant they would have only managed to see the swift motion of his hands. Despite all that happened, they had both been extremely careful and methodical about the cover up. Nothing added up. Feeling the roof was quickly becoming a dead end, she decided to head back to the elevator.

As she began her descent, the elevator stopped to allow more hotel residents in. Veronica was so caught up in her thoughts that she blindly exited as soon as the elevator door re-opened to the next floor. She stepped out, confused, as she realized she wasn't at the lobby. She turned back and pressed the elevator button to go down. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly in surprise. Her heart was still pounding as she turned to see Logan Echolls in front of her.

"Kinda jumpy, aren't you Mars?" he smirked mischievously. She could tell from his slight swagger that he was tipsy. Logan tried to stand still as his voice dropped to a whisper. "And what exactly are you doing here?"

"Hey, you're the one complaining about the lack of late night booty calls," she teased, sticking her hands in her pockets nervously. She knew Logan was aware she was lying. Keith had given her specific (and common sense) instructions not to enter the Grand again; directions Logan had been present to hear.

Logan sighed and, a little roughly, grabbed Veronica by the elbow, leading her toward his suite. She reluctantly complied, knowing he wasn't going to let this go. As soon as she entered, she quickly grew aware of the empty beer bottles that littered the apartment. "Did you have a party or should I be calling AA?"

Logan wasn't in the mood for her banter. Exasperated, he ran his hand through his hair and paced the room. "Why, why would you come here Veronica? To leave extra prints? To raise more suspicion? There must be a reason you would do something so stupid!"

She shrunk slightly at the tone of his voice and bowed her head. "Someone knows."

"What? Wait, that's impossible. No one was there. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. They left me a message… on my car."

"Shit. _Shit!"_ he shouted and flipped over his table over in anger. "Why'd you have to do it, Veronica? Why'd you pull the trigger? Do you always have to have your vengeance?"

"Don't you think I ask myself those same questions every day? I'd take it all back if I could Logan. I just- I can't…" she yelled back, her voice breaking. Logan frowned and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm just worried, y'know. I can't let anything happen to you, not this time," he told her, tenderly holding her face.

"This time…"

Logan shook his head and pulled away from her. "I just keep thinking that if I had gotten there sooner or if things had gone differently the other night, maybe I could have stopped this from happening."

"This isn't your fault, Logan."

He looked into her eyes. "I promised I'd protect you, didn't I? Look, we have to find who this guy is. Can you please let me help this time?"

She nodded and flopped down on his couch. "I'm not sure how you can though. I've got no leads and there's no rational way this guy could have even seen what happened."

Logan sighed and leaned against the arm of the couch. He knit his brow as a thought occurred to him. "What if- what if he didn't see you on the roof? What if they saw you at the help desk? Except… that still doesn't tell us who would send the messages."

Veronica knit her brow as she contemplated his theory. A thought occurred to her and she shot up in her seat. "Someone interested in the crash."

"The crash? What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, positioning himself beside her.

"Maybe they knew I was close to figuring out who did it. If someone believed I had a connection to Cassidy's murder, it would make sense why I dropped the case."

"Once they took away that reason…"

"The truth would come out. But they wouldn't need to threaten you if they suspected Beaver caused the crash… they could just go to the police."

"Please. Telling Lamb a high profile CEO's son was a serial killer without a shred of evidence would get him kicked out of the station without a second thought. Only I knew Beaver's motive."

"So I suppose we'd have to go through the usual suspects then."

"Sounds like," Veronica agreed as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, putting his hand through her hair. "You look pretty out of it."

"I'm… spiffy," she claimed, forcing a smile.

Logan nodded and glanced over at the clock. "Hey, it's getting late. You better head home or your dad'll wonder where you are."

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement, though she longed to stay with him. Logan walked her toward the door. She put her hand on the doorknob, then suddenly whirled around, grabbed Logan's neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss. He returned the kiss with equal vigor and put his arms around her. After a moment, he started to pull away, but Veronica held fast. Sensing what she needed, he rubbed her back tenderly and rocked her back and forth. Finally, she loosened her grip and pulled back. Logan gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Go. Call me if you find anything."

"Will do," she put her hand on the doorknob. "Logan… you know I-"

"I know," he smirked. "Now get outta here."

She gave him a small smile, and then headed out the door.

Veronica closed the door to her apartment nervously as she greeted her Dad. She plastered on a fake smile to acknowledge him.

"You're here. I was worried I'd have to eat the manicotti all by myself," he joked lightly as he prepared their dinner.

"Looks great, Dad," she complimented as she stared at her plate.

"So… how'd the meeting with Lamb go?"

"Fine, I answered every question with the same, incomparable Mars wit."

Keith toyed with his food a moment before relaying the next question. "Do you think he suspects anything?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Its funny to have Lamb's incompetence on our side for a change," she pointed out humorlessly. She bit her lip and changed the subject. "Hey, I think I found a lead on Mrs. Martin's case…the woman with the unethical colleague? I ran his plates and phone records. Oh, yeah and the philandering ex-rock star? I think I got the money shot on-"

Keith laughed slightly. "Thanks, Veronica. I'm sure Mars investigations is a well oiled machine. At this rate, we'll be a year ahead on all our cases. What I'm more interested in is how you like my manicotti."

She poked at her food disinterested. "I'm not hungry."

Keith gave an exasperated sigh and moved from his chair to the kitchen island. "I worry about you, Veronica. You haven't been eating, you haven't been sleeping, and all you do is work on cases and think about the crash."

"And how exactly are murderers supposed to act?" Veronica asked hollowly.

Keith shook his head and sat down next to his daughter. "Veronica, remember back when I was sheriff? I'll always remember this one case. This woman…she was abused for years. She saw her husband beat her children and beat her day after day. After she left him, he tried to break into her house asking for money. Only, she was ready for him. She shot him in her apartment that day. You know what the hardest part about that case was?"

Veronica shook her head.

"The evidence was right there. The man was unarmed and well respected: another privileged corporate shark. One of the hardest things I had to do was book her for murder knowing she'd spend the rest of her life in jail."

"And I'm like that woman?"

He nodded. "The point is: you don't have to work yourself to the bone to get me to feel the same way about you. You're still my daughter, I still love you, and that's never going to change. Do you understand?"

She nodded and pulled her father into a hug. For one moment, she was an innocent little girl who needed her Daddy's arms around her. Keith released his hold on her and smiled.

"Alright, now I know I spoil you, but I rented the South Park movie for you again," he declared, waving the DVD in delight. "But first I need to see three bites for Daddy, right?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed slightly, but complied with his request. Halfway through the movie, Veronica's fatigue began to catch up to her. When Keith saw his daughter struggling to stay awake, he urged her to head to bed. As she made her way into her bedroom, she stopped when she saw what was on her bed. A stuffed beaver with the head ripped off. She gasped, and then started searching the toy for bugs. She noticed a large on its tag on its paw.

_Meet me at the Hut. 5:00 pm tomorrow. You have been warned. _

A lump caught in Veronica's throat. She took a step backward in shock and bumped into her father. He gazed down at her, then her new toy in confusion.

"I just saw the light on and- what's that?"

"Uhhh… nothing," she lied, putting the stuffed beaver behind her back. At his hard stare, Veronica sighed and held out the toy to her father.

"_Meet me at the Hut. 5:00 pm tomorrow. You have been warned_… Veronica what the hell is this?"

"Note from a secret admirer?" she offered. She bit her lip. "This would be the second one."

"The second?"

"He… or she left a message on my car. I think whoever it is thinks I have information about the bus crash and Beaver."

Keith's brow furrowed with worry. "You're not going to the Hut, do you understand me?"

"Dad, what if he-"

"No Veronica, you go out with your friends, you live your life. I don't know what this guy would do to you. I'll see what I can dig up about the crash victims, but I don't want you doing anything rash, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

He shook his head. "I wasn't sure I should give these to you, but now I'm pretty sure you'll need them." He opened his hand to reveal a pair of sleeping pills. "You need your rest, honey." He handed her a glass of water and watched her down the pills.

"Thanks."

Keith nodded and headed toward the door. "Veronica? I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She nodded in agreement and smiled at him. "I know."

Veronica heeded her father's advice and spent the next day with Mac and Wallace. Mac insisted she knew a great café downtown (complete with many vegan options) and had invited Veronica and Wallace to tag along. It was supposed to be a late lunch, but unfortunately Mac's mapquest directions had failed her this time around. The three friends found themselves in the middle of the city completely lost. As the day wore on and the sun began to go down, Veronica kept obsessively checking her watch as she drove. Her dad had instructed her to be home at five, just in case. They were several miles away from Neptune now.

Wallace, from his position in the back seat, noticed Veronica fidgeting. "V, its okay. We'll find it… gotta be around here somewhere."

"I'm real sorry Veronica. I could have sworn we were heading in the right direction back there. Do you have somewhere to be?" Mac asked, guiltily.

"Nope. Just trying to find this 'wonderfully quirky' place," she quipped, with air quotes. She involuntarily looked at her watch again. _4: 55. _She gulped and looked around. "We need to find a gas station. Anyone see a gas station?"

"Seriously Veronica, what's wrong? You've been jumping out of your seat all day," Mac asked with concern.

"Must've had one too many energy drinks, I hear they give you wings."

Wallace pointed to the left. "Hey, look. I think I see a station."

Veronica made an abrupt turn into the station without hesitation. She parked and scurried inside the convenience section with Wallace and Mac in fast pursuit. She eagerly greeted the disinterested, slightly unkempt clerk. "Hey, we're trying to find the Sunflower Gourmet. Any idea?"

The clerk lazily shook his head and pulled out a map. "Let's see… where are we?"

Veronica tapped her feet impatiently and checked her watch again. _5:03_. So, what happened now? What was he going to do? Was he waiting around the corner to attack her? Her friends? What if he knew about her dad or Logan? She pulled out her phone and called Keith.

"Dad? Yeah, I know. I know. I'm sorry, we got lost out here. We've been trying to find this place for hours. Well, I don't really know how close I am. No, nothing. Okay. I will. Okay. Love you too. 'Bye."

She ended the call and stared into space as she pondered her situation. At that moment the clerk, Wallace, and Mac called out to her at once. She jumped a little and turned around.

Mac looked at her, perplexed. "Earth to Mars?"

Wallace's face twisted slightly in amusement. "Veronica, we called you like three times. We found the place. It's back the other way. We should've turned around when I said so."

Veronica shook her head and put on a smile. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"

The clerk gazed at Veronica as she hurried back to her car. He turned to Mac. "Your friend's kinda skittish, huh?"

Mac shook her head. "Not usually."

As they climbed back into the LeBaron and began driving back in the opposite direction, Mac and Wallace decided to confront her.

"Alright V, what's wrong?" Wallace started.

"Nothing. I'm fine, really."

"Yeah and I'm beginning to think that 'fine' is Veronica for 'really bad'," he quipped.

"Does this have anything to do with graduation night?" Mac inquired.

Veronica whirled around to face her. "What?"

At that moment a huge truck collided into Veronica's car. She grabbed the wheel to try to regain control, but the truck continued to come at her. As Mac and Wallace started clinging to their seats and yelling at the driver, Veronica tried to speed up to pass him. The truck kept on smashing into her with greater intensity. She heard her door being pushed in and the deafening sound of her tires squealing around her. She kept gripping the wheel as she unsuccessfully tried to jerk to the opposite side. At last she saw an opportunity; she abruptly turned her wheel and drove through an empty knoll. The LeBaron couldn't take the pressure and flipped over on its side.

She groaned in pain and quickly unbuckled her safety belt as she dangled in the air. She glanced over at Mac, who looked shaken with her hands gripping the dashboard for dear life, but otherwise seemed okay. Veronica then checked her backseat. Wallace was leaning against the passenger seat, very still. She stumbled into the back and placed her finger on his neck to locate a pulse. Relieved when she heard a steady thumping, she scrambled out of the door and leaped out of the car. As she frantically reached for her phone, she noticed a note on her car roof. It read:

_5:00 tomorrow. This is your last warning. _

Author's Note: Whew! Who misses the LeBaron? I do anyway. My inspiration for that last scene comes from a Smallville scene (the episode "Splinter" for any fans here), my sister's car accident, and my car accident. No one was chasing us off the road, but I did smash into a guard rail and lose control for a moment! (We're both okay).

Okay, thanks for reading… I'll update soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Usual Suspects

Veronica stared and watched Wallace from the back of his hospital bed, consumed with guilt. He was sleeping peacefully, the heart monitor beeping in steady rhythm. Mac lay in the next bed over, also sleeping with a heavy sedative. Unlike Wallace, she remembered the ordeal with greater clarity.

Logan came up behind Veronica and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This isn't your fault, you know."

She shook her head as she tried to contain herself. "It is, Logan. I didn't listen to him."

"Who?" he asked, confused.

"The guy… he left me a message last night. He told me to meet him at five o' clock. I didn't listen. That's why Mac and Wallace are in this hospital. It's because of me."

Logan breathed out and put a hand through his hair. "Oh God, Veronica." He looked back at Mac and Wallace. "Look, Wallace has a minor concussion; Mac came out with a couple bumps and bruises. Nothing happened."

"Not yet," she muttered, leaning her back to the wall.

"What?"

"Promise you won't tell my dad."

He looked at her skeptically, but nodded. "I promise…"

"He... or she wants to meet me. Tonight at 5. Logan, I have to go."

"Veronica, no."

"Look what happened last time! If I let this go on, who else is going to get caught in the crosshairs?!" she asked, more loudly than she intended.

Logan drew her close and kissed her head. "Okay, okay. Shhh. Just please let me come with you."

"Logan, I don't think that's such a…"

"I'll stay hidden. He won't even know I'm there. Please," he insisted. She looked up at him and relented, burying her face in his chest. Logan relaxed his shoulders slightly at her consent. She pulled away and walked to the edge of Wallace's hospital bed. Logan noticed the determined gleam in her eyes and scowled.

"Veronica? You should get some rest," he suggested.

She kept her focus on Wallace and shook her head. "No, I'm going to figure out who this son-of-a-bitch is," she stated, matter-of-factly. She grabbed her coat and sprinted out of the hospital, with Logan following in close pursuit.

Hours later, Veronica stood in her room with her trusty whiteboard and a marker in her hand. It was already filled with names, some of which were circled boldly. She took a step back to admire it. The names of the deceased were written in a line. She connected to the friends and family of the victims with a few branches. The names across read: Betina Marone, Rhonda Landers, Leslie Dumass, Ed Doyle, Marcos Oliveres, Peter Ferrera, Meg Manning, and Cervando Perez.

Logan stared at the board, impressed by Veronica's investigative skills. He slung one arm on the back of the chair and scanned the board. "So who knew you were investigating and who was really attached to the victims enough to get revenge?"

"Well, there's Betina: all I knew about her was that she was Dick Casablanca's booty buddy. I spoke to her friend Maureen about her."

"She the revenge sort?"

"Not so much. And if she did, Dick would have been a more likely target. Not me. If anything we shared our mutual… dislike," she smirked a little and crossed Maureen off the list. Logan frowned, never fully understanding Veronica's full hatred for his friend.

"And Rhonda?"

"She called her friend Michelle just before the crash. She was that girl who made that big yearbook spread?"

"The girl with the wide eyed Margot Kidder in the bushes look?"

"That's what I said!" She glanced at the board and scowled. "I don't know though. She knew I was investigating, but she seems pretty harmless."

"Yeah, so did Beaver," Logan pointed out. Veronica frowned and circled Michelle's name on the board with a red marker.

"And who's next to Rhonda's name? Natalie?"

"Rhonda's sister. But we don't need to worry about her."

"She didn't know you were investigating?"

"No… I just didn't feel the sisterly love. Driving away in a fancy sports car and mocking the stamina of the school bus doesn't exactly scream compassion."

"Yeah it screams a lot of different words: cold and bitch come to mind."

"Wallace called her 'Not So Poor White Trash', actually," she pointed out, frowning as she recalled her friend in a hospital bed.

Sensing the mood shift, Logan pressed on. "What about Ms. Dumass?"

"Terrence Cook's former fling. He was the one of my biggest suspects in the case after I found explosives in his garage, but we know he didn't do it. Now that he's been cleared, my guess is he's happy to stay far away from the bus crash." She crossed out his name and Natalie's.

"Ed Doyle: the bus driver, right?"

"Yeah, I met with his daughter Jessie. She wanted me to prove her dad didn't commit suicide. Lamb refused to tell the public her dad wasn't responsible for the crash."

"Finding out Beaver was the guilty party might take the blame off her dad…"

"And help her brother accept the truth about his father too," she added, circling Jessie's name.

"What about Peter Ferrera and Marcos Oliveres? Anyone out for revenge on them?"

"Ahhh, the targets of the bus crash: Peter was a member of a gay student chat room called He went off about the 'outing of all outings.' Don't recall anyone out to avenge his death. Marcos Oliveres was the head of the Neptune Pirate Radio Show."

"The 'what' show? I've never heard of it."

"That… might not be such a bad thing. Marcos aka Cap'n Krunk ragged on just about everyone at Neptune High. You were actually one of his favorite targets," she admitted, recalling his cruel jab about Lynn's Echoll's suicide.

"Oh great, another friend," he scoffed. "Doesn't seem like most of Neptune High would rise to his defense." He sighed as he glanced up at the board. "What about Cervando? Who's connected to him?"

"Weevil was following the bus the day of the crash. He wanted to check on Cervando to make sure he wasn't pissing off the wrong people."

"_Weevil?"_ Logan shot up in his chair."That bastard. I'll bet _he's_ the one doing this."

"Calm down, Logan. Weevil's a friend. Besides he was arrested on graduation day, remember? There's no way he's involved in this."

"What about the Mannings?"

"The Mannings? They blamed me and Duncan for her death," she scowled. "They… also couldn't have been happy about the supposed kidnapping of 'Faith' Manning."

"Sounds like they should be marked with extra stars and neon lights."

"Don't forget the flaming torches," she added, humorlessly. "I'd hate to think of what they would have done to Duncan's daughter." Both she and Logan thought for a moment of their beloved friend in exile. After a pause, Logan spoke again.

"So now what?"

She turned to stare at the board. Veronica had circled 'Jessie Doyle', 'Michelle Thompson', and 'Rose and Stewart Manning'. "Looks like we have a list to contend with," she noted and glanced at her watch. "And only three hours to figure out who this is." She flopped down in her chair and crossed her arms as she thought up her strategy. After a moment, she decisively walked over to her computer.

"Well, a couple of keystrokes will let us know if any of our suspects happened to be partying at the Grand that night," she mused. She clicked the mouse and went to work typing in names. After a few minutes, she relaxed in her chair. "We can cross Michelle and Jessie off the list. Michelle was out on one of those fun-filled European cruises the privileged talk about and Jessie and the rest of her family left Neptune for Portland a few months after the crash. No shocker there."

"And the Mannings?"

Veronica scowled. "They checked into the Grand around 9:00, which means they were still there at around 12:30, the time of the, ummm..." she shifted under comfortably in her seat as she fumbled on the words. "Murder," she finished softly. Logan threw her a concerned look. She straightened to recompose herself.

"We should go pay them a visit," Logan suggested, with venom in his voice.

"There's… kind of a problem. The Mannings sort of have a restraining order against me," she reached into her desk to pull out the official form.

Logan laughed lightly. "Wow, your first one at the tender age of eighteen. I always heard you were a man eater." He read off her angry glare and sobered up. "Hey, I'll go then."

She looked at him with skepticism. "I don't know, Logan. Can you be composed and unassuming?"

"I'm sure I can manage if you guide me through it. Can you pull off quiet and cautious?"

"Touché," she thought over Logan's proposal and pulled out ear buds and a wire from her drawer. "Alright, you're in."

Logan smirked, excited at the prospect of being in on Veronica's espionage game for a change.

Once Veronica was confident Logan to pull off the act, she sent him off to the Manning's doorstep. She parked on the street outside their house a few feet away. She adjusted her ear bud and sighed, hoping everything would go according to plan. Seeing a hint of reluctance, Veronica gave Logan the go ahead signal and ducked a little in her seat.

Logan nodded and knocked rapidly on the door. Stewart Manning answered the door quickly and scowled as soon as he recognized his uninvited visitor. Rose Manning stood by his side, a worried look on her face.

"You. You're Duncan's friend. I suggest you leave immediately or I will call the police," he threatened with malice in his voice.

"Wait, Mr. Manning! I need to talk to you!" Logan insisted before he could shut the door. "It's about Duncan. Look, I think I saw him."

"Saw him? Where? When? Tell me," he asked, suddenly interested.

"At the Grand, about a week ago last Saturday. Duncan told me he was scared about raising the baby on his own. He needed to talk to me. I figured maybe, y'know, he is too young, maybe if he had someone to help him…"

"Wait, the Grand? I was at the Grand last Saturday," Stewart said, mostly to himself.

"We were visiting one of our friends," Rose chimed in nervously.

"Oh, great! Great. Was there any indication he might have been there?"

Stewart shook his head in despair. "No, no. Rose and I checked in and went straight to our friend's. We didn't even come out until we heard the commotion that night."

Rose nodded. "That poor Casablancas boy."

Stewart frowned and turned to his wife. "No, you heard what Dick Casablancas did. Those Casablancas are evil, evil people just like the rest of this dirty town. We ought to take Lizzie out of this god-forsaken place. And Gracie, once we get her back." He sighed and turned his focus back to Logan. "You tell me if you hear anything else from Duncan Kane, alright?"

Logan nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir."

As soon as the Mannings shut the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. He walked casually toward Veronica's car, checking back to see if the Mannings were watching him. Once he was sure they were out of sight, he opened the passenger door and got in. He ripped off the tape holding his wire, wincing a little at the pain.

"How'd I do?" he asked, with a smidge of pride.

"Charming," Veronica replied unenthusiastically as she started up the engine and began driving away. "But not quite as theatrical as Mr. Manning."

"Yeah, I have a new respect of Meg's aura of normalcy now."

"I did too," she reminisced. After a pause: "I miss her."

"She stuck by you… I wish I had," Logan admitted with some remorse as he recalled their brief period as enemies.

"You're here now," she stated. She looked over at him with a slight smile playing on her lips. Her smile soon faded as she contemplated their situation. "Look, despite being ten kinds of creepy, it doesn't look like that Mannings did it. Michelle and Jessie didn't do it. There must be someone I'm overlooking!" She checked her watch. "God, Logan. We only have an hour."

Logan glanced at his own watch with equal anxiety. "Look, can you drop me off at the Grand? I'll meet you at your dad's office in forty five minutes. Right outside, okay?"

She turned to him in confusion as she drove toward his place. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. I thought maybe I'd ask the hotel receptionist a few more questions to see if we missed anything."

She nodded in consent. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the hotel. She parked on the curb near the hotel entrance and bit her lip in anxiety. "Be careful," she told him as he stepped out of the car.

"You too. Wait for me," he insisted. He shut the door, and then turned to gave Veronica a sideward glance before walking away. When he reached the apartment he walked right past the reception desk. He had no interest in checking in with any of the hotel staff. It was time for a more decisive action.

After Logan reached his suite, he went straight for his room. He grabbed a key from his pocket and stuck it into the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled it out, shifted through a few scattered papers, and felt his fingers around the handgun. He then slid the clip in and stared at it for a moment.

Veronica would be so angry if she knew he still carried it around. He regretted leaving it behind the night of Cassidy's murder. Maybe if he had brought it to the roof that day, Cassidy's blood would have been on his hands and not Veronica's. No, he was sure of it. But how could he have known? All he had received was the cryptic 'meet me on the roof' message she had texted to him. If there was one reason to carry it now, it was the safety of one Veronica Mars. He stood up confidently, sure of his decision, and started to head toward the door when he thought he heard a soft creak.

He turned only to see a towel clamped around his mouth. One arm held him tightly around the neck as he struggled to pull it away. The smell of the chloroform started to get to Logan; his eyes started to flutter, the world started to spin around him, and everything went black.

Author's Note:

Oh yes, another cliffhanger. I am so mean.

I hope I characterized the Mannings well. They were only in a few episodes, but I thought they were creepy and really had motive to go after Veronica. Some of you may be thinking it was a tad cruel for Logan and Veronica to use their grandchild against them; I figured that was the only way they would actually talk to Logan.

And I hope the part where they're going through the list of suspects didn't bore everyone. I thought about cutting it and then I sort of figured it was too important to the story. Big props to which helped me remember the somewhat convoluted plot points of the second season. Okay, I'll try to get the next installment up this weekend and then you shall find out whodunit!


	7. Note About the Unexpected! Hiatus

Riiiight, sorry I haven't updated in forever. It completely wasnt my intention to leave this story on hiatus indefinitely. I know I left a big cliffhanger and I do appreciate all the nice feedback, especially on the last chapter. (Sheesh! People dont like to see Logan in danger! ;)). The reason its been so delayed is because, well, I did have to go away to look at grad schools last weekend. However, the MAIN reason is that my Microsoft Word expired. Yeeeah, apparently I never had it on my computer which is all sorts of weird. My brother is going to come by sometime to give me his copy, but until then I guess we'll all have to wait. (Kinda stinks because I'm snowed and it's the perfect time to finish it... sigh). Anyway, really sorry. I feel very bad about the delay. I'll try to finish as soon as I can! 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Final Showdown

Author's Note: 

Whew! Here's the next chapter at last. Apologies again for the delay. My bro just installed Word on my computer so updates should be quicker now! And I want to say thank you sooo much for all the nice and prompt reviews on the previous chapter. I didn't know putting our pal Logan in danger would generate this much response! Go figure. Okay here goes:

Veronica tried to keep her mind occupied as she shifted the dials of her radio. What was Logan up to? She went over the possible suspects for the hundredth time, wondering who would threaten her and her friends. At last she parked on the side street and went into Mars Investigations.

"Hey Dad," she greeted as she stepped inside.

Keith scurried over to her from his office, a distraught look on his face."Veronica! I've been worried sick. I left you a couple messages."

She took out her cell phone and noticed five missed calls. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I was-"

"What did you find?" he cut to the chase, knowing the reason for her absence.

She sighed and shook her head. "All dead ends."

Keith frowned and beckoned her to his office. "I've been looking through my old files to see if I can dig up anything."

"And?"

"Same as you. Came up empty," he passed his hand over the drawers dramatically to indicate their scattered and seemingly meaningless contents. Veronica squinted in recognition of one of the items. She bent down and carefully picked up a bright yellow toy school bus. She toyed with the wheels for a moment as she tried to remember when she last saw it.

"The Olivereses, remember? Someone played a prank on them with their son's voice and yellow school buses?" Keith refreshed her memory. "Why? Does that mean anything to you?"

Her eyes went wide as a realization dawned on her. She glanced at her watch: 4:45. "No. Everything's fine. I have to go," she said breathlessly.

With that, she pocketed the bus and sprinted out of the office. She glanced around the streets; no one. After a slight hesitation, she grabbed her phone to call Logan. Before she could dial, her phone came to life. She fumbled and almost dropped it before hitting receive.

"Logan?" she answered quickly.

"Logan's with me. If you don't want anything to happen to him, I suggest you meet me at the corner of Euclid and Reno. The building behind the River Stix. Be on time."

"You don't have to do this. It won't change anything."

"You know I have to, Veronica."

Before she could respond, she heard an eerie dial tone. She closed her eyes tightly and let out a heavy sigh. Hurriedly, she fished for her keys and ran for her car. She gave it a hard jerk; the driver's door caved in from the earlier mishap. She turned her eyes in the ignition and pushed her accelerator, hoping that the friendly Neptune police would be too busy not doing their jobs to notice her broken blinker, dented car, and blatant disregard for the speed limit.

Logan wasn't sure exactly where he was when he woke. From what he could gauge, it seemed he was holed up in some kind of abandoned office building. The room was dark, but Logan could make out a large desk behind him with a few scattered objects on top. He was seated in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair with his feet bond together and his arms tied tightly behind the back of the chair. Despite his best efforts, he found that his captor was quite good at tying tight knots. Maybe he had been a boy scout once upon a time. If so, he was certainly in violation of many, many Boy Scout laws and credos this evening. Ryan… Ryan what? Logan didn't even know his last name. He hardly knew the boy threatening his life.

Ryan paced the room anxiously. He constantly looked out the window for Veronica. He didn't strike Logan as the type who would threaten anyone, but then neither did Beaver. He was already starting to work on untying the knots, unseen by Ryan. Logan would speak to him casually as if this kidnapping was all some sort of practical joke. If he gave him the illusion of being unfazed, maybe he could mask the pain the ropes chaffing against his wrists was causing… or at let him pretend he wasn't trying to escape.

"Y'know, for someone who claims to be gay, you sure don't dress well. I mean, I thought wallpaper went out last season."

Ryan scowled and stared him down. "Yeah, funny isn't it? You never thought someone like me was capable of something like this, right?" He backhanded Logan across the face in anger. "You'll see what I'm capable of if Veronica doesn't come through."

"She'll come through," Logan replied with conviction as he licked the fresh blood from his lips.

"Of course she will. Veronica's always had a soft spot for you, hasn't she? I'm not sure why, either. To me, you've always been like the rest of them. I figured you were the one in the car with her that day. Mac and Wallace... they've always been cool, but another egocentric 09er? I could live with that," he shrugged, pressing a gun to Logan's temple. Logan breathed heavily, but refused to close his eyes as he gazed at his captor out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait!" Veronica called from the doorway. Ryan moved the gun away from Logan and turned it on Veronica. She cautiously entered the room with her hands in the air.

"Veronica! I was just having a chat with your boyfriend, Logan. You know that always surprised me... how you shacked up with the guy who basically made your life a living hell for a year. Of course, you've been surprising me a lot lately."

"Yeah? And how's that?" she asked, her arms crossed.

"I used to actually admire you Veronica. Yeah, I-I thought you were this really honest, moral person. You try to help people, you accepted them for who they are, and you always wanted the truth. I just... can't believe you did this."

She laughed nervously. "You can't prove I did anything."

"Marcos is dead! Your friend Meg is dead! All of us, everyone who knew them, we wanted to know what happened to them. And the one person, who I knew could solve the case... to figure out who murdered innocent people, won't give him up to save her own skin."

Veronica gulped, his words hitting her hard. She took a moment to answer him."You've got it all wrong, Ryan. I didn't do anything."

He stretched out his arm and, again, placed the gun on Logan's temple. "Don't lie, Veronica. I have been waiting for almost a year to find out who killed Marcos. Do you know how it feels, Veronica? To lose the person you love?"

Her throat tightened as she watched him threaten Logan. "No, wait! Please, don't. I'll tell you anything."

"Did Beaver kill everyone on the bus?"

She stared at him, trying to figure her way out. She noticed Logan's arms slowly moving up and down. He was already planning his escape. She took stock of the items on the desk behind Logan, hoping they could be of some use. But Ryan, oblivious to her thoughts, was growing weary of her hesitation. He waved the gun at her with growing fury.

"Tell me!!" he shouted.

"Yes. He killed them," she choked out fearfully. "He killed everyone."

"Why? Marcos never mentioned Beaver."

"Beaver was on the same little league team as Marcos. Woody molested both of them and Peter. Peter and Marcos wanted to spill..." she explained, forcing herself to stay collected.

"And Beaver didn't. And he took out a whole bus full of kids to get to them," Ryan sighed, and then looked at Veronica with a look of sympathy. "You killed him, didn't you?"

Veronica shifted uncomfortably. "I..."

Angered, Ryan whacked Logan with the side of the gun. Logan leaned backwards for a second, stunned.

"Stop! "she blurted, seeing the anger in his eyes and fearing for Logan's safety. "I did it, okay? I killed Cassidy. Logan had nothing to do with it," she admitted, her voice shaking.

Ryan laughed harshly. "You think I care that you killed Beaver? He murdered Marcos. He murdered the rest of the bus. I-I'm glad you did it so he wouldn't get to walk away." Tears started to run down his face as he gazed at Veronica, distraught over the news.

"Look, then I'd say she did you a favor. You got your justice. Now just let us go," Logan tried to reason with him, his head throbbing.

"It's not that simple. No one knows who caused the crash. I'm guessing the Neptune sheriff department isn't going to figure it out either. Everyone needs to know about this. Just tell them everything you know, Veronica. Tell them everything and I let Logan go. I promise," he tossed Veronica his cell phone ceremoniously.

"Veronica, don't! You do this and you're the key suspect. You know Lamb will never let you go," Logan pleaded.

"Shut up!" Ryan shouted. He shot the gun into the air ominously, and then turned it back on Logan.

Veronica bit her lip and started dialing the phone. "I'm sorry Logan." She waited as the phone started ringing on the other end, then she heard Lamb's voice on the other end.

"Neptune Sheriff's Department?"

She stared at Logan and took a breath. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Keith flew into the room and tackled Ryan. He crashed on the ground with a loud grunt. Veronica gasped and started to work her way toward the desk as her father and Ryan struggled. Ryan pushed from Keith's grip and crawled over to his gun lying a few inches away. He managed to get a good grasp of it, stood, and pointed it at Keith's head.

Before either could react, Veronica snatched the desk lamp off the table and smashed it over Ryan's head. He collapsed in a heap on the floor. Veronica breathed heavily as she stared at his unconscious body, panic setting in. Keith crawled over to Ryan's body and felt his pulse.

"He'll be all right, Veronica," Keith declared, then fell back, breathing heavily.

She stooped down next to him. "Dad, are you okay?"

He held her face gently and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay, honey. I'm glad you're safe. Look, I'll call an ambulance. The police are already on their way."

"How did you find me?"

"Hey, remember I taught you everything you know about the private eye business. When I saw how you reacted to the yellow school bus and noticed how you were receiving little 'gifts', I connected the dots. Ryan was the one who left the calling cards to the Oliverses to hurt them. Figured he was doing the same thing to you. Then, I thought I saw a light bulb go off in your head… and your common sense with it," he smirked as he began dialing his phone.

"That seems to happen pretty often," Logan joked from his perch on the chair. Veronica turned back to him and held his face gingerly, noting the damage Ryan had caused. His lip dribbled some dried blood and a black eye appeared to be forming on the side where the gun had smacked him.

"God, I'm so sorry Logan."

"Yeah, well my handsome mug's survived worse," he shrugged. "Don't suppose you have your pocket knife with you?"

She shook her head. Keith pulled himself from the floor and dug into his pockets. "I think I do," he volunteered. He eased over behind Logan's chair and began working the ropes. He had finished by the time they all heard the sounds of sirens wailing. Logan, Keith, and Veronica all looked over at Ryan's unconscious body with worry. There was no telling what he would tell the local authorities or how much they would believe.

Ryan had just begun to stir when Sheriff Lamb arrived. As soon as Ryan saw him, he stood and complied with his orders. It appeared that the fight had simply gone out of him. He put his hands behind his back without any resistance and stared into the floor. Before he left to go in the squad car, he was suddenly filled with resolve as he turned to Veronica.

"What if it was Lilly? What if someone knew the truth about who killed her? You'd want to know the truth, wouldn't you?" he asked her with sincerity in his voice.

She opened her mouth and then closed it, his words sinking in. She was still speechless as Lamb approached them.

"I'm gonna need a statement from all of you later tonight. You know the drill," he shrugged, disinterested.

Keith nodded and returned his attention to his daughter.

"Alright Veronica, I'm heading home. You should come with me. You really shouldn't be driving that thing."

"Yeah. Sure… fine. I'll be there in a minute," she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

He nodded and turned to Logan with doubt in his eyes. Logan nodded to him and put a hand on Veronica's shoulder, silently promising Keith he was taking care of her. Keith smiled in acknowledgment and left to give them a moment alone.

She shook her head and turned to him. "I can't believe it was him…" she muttered under her breath. "You sure you're okay?" Veronica gripped his raw wrists and traced the red marks the rope had made hypnotically.

"Yeah. I always bounce back. What was it you told me Wallace said? Nine lives?" he jested, moving his hands from her grip. He suddenly realized she was trembling and wrapped her in his arms. She breathed into his chest, her mind reeling with the recent events. Logan gazed down at her worriedly. He hadn't seen her shake like this since the night Beaver was... He shook that train of thought from his head and pulled her away from him gently. "Hey, Veronica? Everything's gonna be fine. You know that right?"

She hesitated before nodding at him, a crooked smile playing on her face.

Hours later, the three sat in the office of the Balboa County Sheriff's department. Sacks had written down their statements to formerly charge Ryan with kidnapping and attempted murder charges. Keith and Logan were looking rather bored and eager for Lamb to dismiss them. He was eying an unusually quiet and serious Veronica with curiosity.

"Are we done here?" Logan asked, not bothering to keep the exasperation out of his voice.

"We got it Keith. Anything else you'd care to add Mars?" Lamb asked, shooting a cursory glance in Veronica's direction.

"I know who caused the bus crash," she stated stoically. Keith's eyes grew wide and tried to make a move toward her. Lamb put a hand to his chest to stop him.

"Hold it," he told the former sheriff. He turned his attention back to Veronica."You do? Alright, I'll bite. Spill."

"It was Cassidy. Cassidy Casablancas."

"Ohhh this ought to be good. You got any evidence to back up this crazy theory?" he asked, unimpressed as he chewed his ever present gum.

"I do," she affirmed with conviction, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.

Lamb grew solemn as he realized the implications of Veronica's confession. "I'm gonna have to ask you to come in for questioning."

She nodded and purposefully followed Lamb, averting the gazes of Logan and her father...

Author's Note: 

'Kay, this chapter was convoluted and I think I need some explanation. I'm hoping I made Veronica's decision believable. She knows how dangerous it is to give up what she knows, but we've seen time and time again how Veronica will put her own safety at risk (and her rationality, to some extent) to find the truth.

Please don't think I'm homophobic by making Ryan the stalker. To me, he was one of the most compelling characters tied to the bus crash. He really seemed to mourn the victims of the crash more than most others. He was also one of the only ones in more than one episode ("Ahoy, Mateys!" and "Versatile Toppings"), too. Plus, as Keith said, he left 'calling cards.' Hmmm!

I'll have the final chapter up by next week (definitely… I'll be on break). Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: R.I.P. Cassidy Casablancas

Author's Note: This is the last chapter and I finished it when I said I would! (Yes!) It wound up being pretty Dick-heavy. I'm not Dick's biggest fan, but I thought that was a good way to amp up the tension. I hope you enjoy it.

Logan stared at his reflection as he put on his coat. He looked awful. His hair was sticking up at all ends, his face was unshaven, his eyes tired and glassy. He hadn't been able to sleep since she was arrested. Arrested. They arrested Veronica. It was still unbelievable, even though it had happened three days ago. The sheriff had found probable cause; a motive to arrest her.

He and Keith had poured over ways to get her out. An alibi. Citing the lack of evidence. There was already buzzing around the town of Neptune about how the nosy daughter of the former sheriff snapped and killed the Casablancas boy. It was exactly the type of tawdry scandal that the Neptune tabloids ate up. The hotel employees had their end of the story: her frantic search for Cassidy and Mac on the night of the murder. Others remained suspicious….

Logan twisted the knob of his apartment door only to see Dick facing him on the other side. He strolled past Logan, his hands balled up into fists and his eyes red with rage. After running his hands through his hair, he whirled around to face him.

"Did she do it, Logan? Did she kill Cassidy?"

Logan gulped, but kept his composure. "No, man. You know she wouldn't. Not Veronica."

Dick looked down on the floor. "Well then, who did Logan? Who killed my brother? Isn't that the only thing that makes sense?"

Logan stammered, unsure of what to tell him. "I-I don't know. It could've been any one of the victims. It just… it wasn't her, okay?"

Dick looked back at him, his voice turning venomous. "And just why should I believe you? You still love her, don't you? You'd do anything to protect her… isn't that what you told me once?"

Logan took his head vigorously. "You got it wrong."

"She came to your party looking for Cassidy, didn't she? The hotel employees said she was desperate to get into Mac's room… why?"

Logan remained silent.

"I know, okay? I know my brother did bad things. I know what he did was wrong, but he was my brother!" he took a breath to get himself together. "She had no right to kill him and I'm not letting her get away with it. It's time to pick a side Logan. You're either with her or me."

"Dick, look…" he started, trying to reason with him.

Dick shook his head. "I knew it," he acknowledged. "You were always going to choose her." He let the tears drip down his face as he pushed past Logan.

Logan watched Dick leave with a mixture of pity and remorse. He realized the implication of Dick's words. He could turn the town against her. It wouldn't be too difficult. Veronica was never one for making friends. What was going to become of her? He hurried out of his apartment and toward the Balboa County Jail.

When he reached her, she was staring into the ceiling in contemplation; her newest habit. She didn't even hear him until he gently called out her name.

"Veronica?"

When she turned toward him, Logan frowned at her tear streaked face. Veronica wasn't a fool; she was well aware of her situation. She quickly wiped her eyes as she faced him, intend on masking her obvious distress.

"Logan… hey."

"Veronica, umm, how are you holding up?"

She bowed her head. "Not great."

He reached over and took her hand in his. He played with her small fingers a moment before speaking.

"Why'd you do it, Veronica? You know we were… we could've gotten away with it."

"Gotten away with what? You know things were never going to be the same. You'd always think about it. I'd always think about it. It would always be there."

"We would've gotten past it."

"C'mon Logan. There's no sense in lying to ourselves anymore."

Logan dropped her hands and threw his up in the air. "Okay, fine. It would have been different. I may not have looked at you the same. It'd be the elephant in the room, is that what you want to hear?"

She bit her lip, but didn't respond.

He put his hands on his hips and sighed. "It may have been different, but it's better than what's happening now. What am I supposed to do without you? Knowing you'll spend your life in jail or…" he gulped, refusing to finish his thought. "Or worse."

Veronica shivered slightly at his train of thought. "You don't understand. All year I tried to figure out who killed everyone on the bus and do you know how I did it? I learned about them. Peter, Marcos, Cervando, Meg, and the others. Their lives were taken from them. All because of Beaver's secret. How could I let him get away with that? How… how could I?"

Logan sniffled, softening up a little. He approached the cell and pushed his forehead against hers. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you too," she answered softly. She enjoyed their moment of tranquility before reluctantly breaking it off. "Logan?" she said, almost fearfully.

"Yeah?"

"It's okay, you know. If-if you can't get me out. I just don't want you to blame yourself, okay?"

"Veronica," Logan started his voice heavy with irritation.

"Promise me."

"All right. I promise," he nodded. He gazed at her, surprised to see hopelessness in her expression for the first time in years. Unable to stand the look in her eyes, he pushed his hand through his hair and made a quick exit. "You take care of yourself, okay Veronica?"

She nodded as she watched him go, clearly upset. She leaned against the bars, her lips quivering, while tears started to roll down her cheeks. Veronica slid down to the floor and sobbed into her hands.

"Feeling guilty?" a voice asked behind her. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and turned to see Dick Casablancas.

"You killed my brother, didn't you?" he asked, in an accusatory tone.

"I didn't," she answered indignantly, but her mood softened when she saw Dick's tortured expression. "But… I'm sorry about what happened," she added more softly.

Dick's anger subsided as he heard the sincerity in her voice. He breathed out heavily. "I know what you're thinking. I'm an awful brother. How can I pretend to care now?" he started to pace outside Veronica's cell. "You know, somewhere I knew something was wrong too. I'm the one who made him quit. He came in crying one day after practice. I was worried. Do you know what I told him?"

"What?"

"I told him, 'Beaver don't be a pussy, just quit if you can't deal.' I thought he just sucked at baseball or something," he broke out of his vulnerable state and turned toward Veronica. "I don't care how Logan feels about you, I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to him." He started to walk away, but Veronica's voice stopped him.

"And what do you think that will accomplish? You think that'll make you a better brother?"

"It's something. Why not?" he shrugged.

Suddenly a voice went through Veronica's head. Not Dick's a different, younger voice.

_"Why not? That's what I thought…"_

She remembered Beaver's watery eyes as he stared at her and Logan, pleading for a reason why he shouldn't commit suicide. She didn't come up with one. She didn't even try.

Veronica looked back at Dick."He jumped," she whispered. "He jumped off the roof…" Suddenly she heard her father calling in the distance. She looked around her cell. Where was Dad? Wait, where did Dick go? Suddenly, the jail cell became blurred and started to fade.

"Veronica! Veronica!"

Veronica rubbed her eyes, her lids still sticky as she lay in bed. She propped her arms to pull herself up and tried to focus on her father. The water in the bed oozed around her, startling her. "Dad? Wuh- what's going on?"

"Cassidy's funeral?"

Her eyes went wide and she gripped the bed frame nervously. "Uh-"

Keith sat down at the edge of the bed. "You know Honey; you don't have to go this. I know what he did to you and I wouldn't blame you for not going. Just because you saw him jump off the roof-"

"Jump off? You mean- oh God," she put a hand to her forehead. "It wasn't real."

"What? Honey, are you okay?"

She brushed her hand down her face. "Yeah, yeah."

"Look if you want to stay-"

"No," she declared steadfastly. "No, I'll go."

A few minutes later, she bit her lip as she gazed into the mirror at her funeral outfit. She felt the familiar sense of déjà vu; how many funerals had she attended in her nineteen years? She glanced at her cell phone and noticed she had a few missed calls from Logan. She recalled the night he took care of her after her father died.

_She was sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. _

"_Its okay, Veronica. It's okay," he whispered in her hair, his voice heavy with concern. _

"_How? How is it going to be okay?" she asked timidly. _

"_I'll take care of you. I'll be better this time, I swear. Things will be better."_

Even that night, when he was the only person she could turn to, she had doubts. He had promised her he'd take care of her once and the PCHers almost shot her in the head last summer. He had promised to take care of her even as he continued to put her in danger, playing pranks and wreaking havoc on the town with Dick and Cassidy. She stared at the phone, unsure of what to do. Sighing, she pocketed it and headed out with her father.

A few minutes later, Veronica sat in the back row of the seats at the funeral home. She looked around her: Dick sat between Mrs. Casablancas and Logan. The rest of the funeral home was a smattering of relatives. She figured many of them would refuse to be associated with Cassidy after he earned the title 'serial killer.' Just as she had dreamt, Dick did not appear to be taking Cassidy's death well. Somehow she knew Dick always cared for his brother. Why else would he drag him everywhere with him? He was the most solemn she had ever seen him, grief evident in his expression.

Toward the end of the service, the awkward audience was asked to reminisce about Cassidy. Dick nervously took to the podium.

"Yeah okay, Cassidy wasn't always the coolest guy, but he wasn't a bad brother. I mean, he was the guy I'd always chill with. And not out of any obligation, y'know. I may have liked to push his buttons, but I cared about him. He was my little bud. I'm not sure he knew that. I just wish I had the chance to tell him. I'm sorry I wasn't there for him like I should have been. I'm gonna miss you Beav," he finished, her voice cracking at the end.

Logan put a hand on his shoulder in solidarity when Dick returned to his seat. Soon the occupants of the funeral home were herded out to see the burial. Veronica hung back and waited for the rest of the Casablancas family to leave before she visited Cassidy's grave. She felt the stone uncertainly, tracing Cassidy's name with her finger.

"I probably shouldn't be here," she started hesitantly. "I still haven't forgiven you. Not for what you did to Meg and the others… and not for what you did to me." Her voice dropped. "Especially for what you did to me. But, after last night I thought- I thought maybe I understood you a little. When someone does something like that to you… like what Woody did, you can't forget it. You have to carry it around with you."

She paused to collect herself, remembering waking up the night she was raped, and then she took a breath before continuing. "I'm sorry you couldn't get past that. I know that maybe, somewhere, you were a decent person. I saw how you were with Mac. I'm sorry for who you could have been. Maybe someday I will forgive you. Not today, though. Not today," she sighed, running her hand through her hair.

Veronica left Cassidy's grave, shivering slightly. She took a shuddering breath through the lump in her throat. When she reached the bottom of the hill, she saw Logan standing at the bottom. He was shoving the flowers at the base of the hill with his foot, failing to notice her. As she came to meet him, he smiled crookedly.

"Veronica?" Logan looked at her quizzically. "You're kinda the last person I expected to see here."

"Logan," she greeted and pulled him into a tight hug. Surprised by the gesture, Logan took a second before returning the hug. He pulled away, confused.

"As... nice as the impromptu, rare displays of affection are, I'm not quite getting this one. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," she intertwined her hand in his, and then sighed before speaking again. "You- you said something the other night… about starting over. Did you mean it?"

"I did. I kinda assumed that was off the table after you didn't call back. You'll give me another chance?"

She looked into his eyes. "You came after me that night. You didn't have to, but you did."

"It wasn't a choice I had to make. I think you know that."

Veronica wrapped her arms around him and held him closely. Logan returned the gesture and rested his chin on her head. "Are you sure you're okay, Veronica?"

"I just... I wanted to thank you. For pulling me back from the edge that night."

"It's the same thing you do for me every day," Logan smiled as he bent down to kiss her.

**The End**

Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading and sticking it out! I hope you aren't angry about the ending: that's how it was always supposed to be written. I can't really have Veronica bump someone off; it would be too much for her. The next story I do I'll have written the entire thing before posting so you'll get faster updates!


End file.
